Shaft-tug



H. F. BOGKE (No Model.)

SHAFT TUG.

Patented Jam 6, 1885.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY FERDINAND BOOK, OF LANSING, ILLINOIS.

SHAFT-TUG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,366, dated January6, 1885.

(No model.)

- supporting the shafts of vehicles, and has for its object tofacilitate harnessing and unharnessing the draftanimal.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, aswill be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front longitudinal sectional elevation of my improvedshaft-loop. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation on the line 00, Fig.1, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the upper portion of theshaft-loop.

My improved shaft-loop is made in two principal sections or portionstheloop proper, shown at A, and the metallic fastening B, by which the loopis held so asto open and close to enter and remove the shaft from it inharnessing and unharnessing the draft-animal, and by which also theentire loop is held to the back-strap C of the saddle of the harness. Imake the open loop A with eyes a a, and the fastening B with lugs Z) 5,so that a strong pivot'pin, D, passed through the eyes a c and lugs b b,will hinge the loop A to the fastening B. The ends 6 c of the frame ofthe buckle E pass at the sides of the lugs b b, and the eye of thetongue f of the buckle is placed between the eyes a a of the loop A, sothat the buckle E is attached to the shaft-loop by the same pin D bywhich the open loop A is hinged to the fastening B. The eyes a a areformed upon the upper end of a metal plate, A, which forms an innermetallic core to the loop part- A, and is bent around togive therequired shape to the loop, as in Fig. 1. This coreplate A is coveredwith plates or strips of leather, as at A A which are stitched togetherat the edges, to inclose the eoreplate A and give a better appearance tothe shaft-loop by presenting a leather finish corresponding to the restof the harness. The leather covering A also prevents the excessive wear011 the shafts which a metal loop would cause, and also makes the loopmuch more agreeable to handle, especially in cold weather. The metaleoreplate A has fixed to it the eye F, to which the eye or frame G forthe under strap is pivoted. The end of the complete A, which locks withthe fastening B, has an eye, a, ranging transversely, and into which eyethe ends it h of the catches H H pass from opposite sides. These catchesH H are pivoted on pins h h, to and between the lower plate portion, 13,of the fastening B and a back plate, I, on which latter plate is fixedor formed the loop J, by or in which the end of the backstrap 0 is heldafter it passes through the buckle E. The plate B of the fastening B is.pressed or bulged out transversely, as at I), to

form a recess behind it, in which is placed the spring K, and so as topress outward by its opposite ends against the upper parts, If h of thecatches H II, above their pivots, and thereby force their lower bentends, h h, toward each other. The lower end of the plate B is bentoutward, as at b and then is shaped at its extremity in the form of ashallow cup or bowl, B into which the eye a of the loop A may pass for aguard when the eye is engaged by the catches H II. here the plate 13 isbent at If past the catches shoulders I) are formed, against which thecatches strike to limit their throw by the action of the spring K. Thepivot-pins h of the catches serve, to gether with a lower rivet, h, tobind the plates I and B of the fastening B firmly to each other, and soas to inclose the swing-catches H between them.

In harnessing the animal to a vehicle, the shafts or thills will bepassed into the loop A when it is swung back on its pivot D, whereuponthe eye a of the loop is swung around and engaged by the catches H H,which will firmly lock the shafts to place. It will be seen that theshafts are engaged and held by the loops without passing the ends of theshafts through the loops. In unharnessing, the upper ends,

h", of the catches II II will be pressed toward pivots D to remove theshafts from them. I

The ends If of the catches H do not project inward beyond the raisedpart b of the plates B, so that any lifting movements of the shafts inthe loops can have no tendency to loosen or disable the catches.

I do not limit myself to the use of a leather covering for the metalliccore-plate A of the shaft-loop, as the same may be coated or coveredwith rubber or any other suitable fabric or material which will give aproper finish to the loop to correspond with the rest of the harness.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A shaft -loop constructed with a loop part, A,hinged with the buckle E, by which the loop is hung from thesaddle-strap O, and provided with a transverse eye, a, at its joint end,and the fastening B, connecting with the top of the loop, and providedwith the springcatches H H, adapted to enter the eye a, sub stantiallyas shown and described.

2. In a shaft-loop, the fastening B, provided with the pivoted catches HH, havinginturned locking ends 71 h, head portions W76 and a spring, K,interposed between the parts If h, substantially as shown and described.

8. In a shaft-loop, the fastening B, bent at b, and extended to form therest and guard 13 for the eye a at the loop-joint, substantially asshown and described.

4. A shaft-loop constructed with a loop, A, having a metallic core, A,and an eye, a, and hinged with the fastening B and buckle E on apivot-pin, D, said fastening B having the back-strap loop J secured toit, and also having the pivoted catches H H, adapted to engage the" eyeaof the loop part A, substantially as shown and described.

HENRY FERDINAND BOOK.

Witnesses:

JOHN BENZ, JosEF PHILLIPS.

